Steps
by mybrowneyes
Summary: When You're Gone by Avril Lavigne.  How Ranger keeps tabs on Stephanie.


_All characters belong to Janet Evanovich_

_Minor smut--kissing_

_**Steps**_

_Ranger was driving back from Boston. One of the oldest clients wanted to upgrade the security system in his three hotels. He had seen enough exits, hotel lobbies, kitchens, and hallways. Up on the roof, down in the basements, on the loading docks. Enough hotels, he wanted to go home where his Babe was waiting for him._

_Stephanie would have made the trip with him, but it was Grandma Mazur's birthday and she didn't want to miss it. They talked first thing in the morning and last thing at night. A few times in between when he could call._

_Without her smile, no curls to touch, and no Stephanie to hold at night, the five days away dragged and were beyond boring. The client approved the upgrades and Ranger turned the installation over to his brother, Ramon, who ran the Boston Rangeman office. Not able to get a flight to Trenton until late afternoon, he opted to rent a black Lexus SUV and high-tailed it home. He settled into his zone._

_A song caught his attention. _

I always needed time on my own  
I never thought I'd need you there when I cry  
And the days feel like years when I'm alone  
And the bed where you lie is made up on your side

When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now

When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you

I've never felt this way before  
Everything that I do reminds me of you  
And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor  
And they smell just like you, I love the things that you do

When you walk away I count the steps that you take  
Do you see how much I need you right now

When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you

We were made for each other  
Out here forever  
I know we were, yeah  
All I ever wanted was for you to know  
Everything I'd do, I'd give my heart and soul  
I can hardly breathe I need to feel you here with me, yeah

When you're gone  
The pieces of my heart are missing you  
When you're gone  
The face I came to know is missing too  
When you're gone  
The words I need to hear to always get me through the day and make it ok  
I miss you

_He was missing Stephanie. They were meant for each other. And Ranger admitted he loved only her and stopped fighting his feelings._

_How many steps until he held her in his arms tonight?_

_Tank picked Ranger up at the rental car office when he dropped it off. They pulled into the Rangeman garage._

_From the Porsche to the elevator--11 steps._

_Elevator--2 steps in, 2 steps out._

_Elevator to apartment door--7 steps._

_Apartment door to Stephanie's lips on the sofa--14 steps._

"_Thirty-six," Ranger mumbled kissing her._

"_What?" , Stephanie looked at him curiously._

"_From the Porsche to you it was 36 steps."_

_Sofa to bed, still kissing--20 steps _

" _You to bed another twenty steps."_

"_Why? That boring in Boston."_

"_I wanted to know how many steps it would take until I was holding you. My heart is where you are. And it was approximately 1,689,636 steps from Boston to my Babe."_

"_Wow, I missed you, too."_

_It went on for weeks. When Stephanie counted, her totals were always off. Then she figured Ranger was counting in her smaller steps and not his larger strides._

_Ranger's office to Stephanie's cubicle--18 steps._

_Elevator to Ranger's office--31 steps._

_Bedroom to kitchen--15 steps._

_Apartment door to bedroom--26 steps._

_Elevator to treadmill in gym--82 steps._

_Bed to shower--17 steps, but 9 Ranger strides with Stephanie over his shoulder. _

_Stephanie was in the firing range when she felt Ranger nuzzling her neck._

"_All right, how many?"_

"_96 from elevator to your lips, 133 from bed to here, and 131 from my office."_

"_Ranger, you need a different hobby."_

"_No, Babe, I'm really like the hobby that comes after the this hobby."_

"_What could that be?"_

_Kissing her so Stephanie was only aware of them. "I 'll show you in 133 steps."_

_Candlelit steps for Stephanie to reach Ranger--26._

"_You may now kiss the bride"--1 step._

_**The End**_

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_When you're Gone--Avril Lavigne_


End file.
